LOL, so I've avoided cones like the plague since about 2006. It wasn't until a couple of months ago, that my hair fell in love with Devacare One C (which contains amodimethicone) that I decided to look into them further. So, like a true PJ and hairaholic, I researched that specific cone and ran across this article:

Then, I ran across a thread where lots of naturals (on another board) were praising another A-cone conditioner- Pantene Relaxed and Natural Breakage Defense Deep Conditioning Mask (that's a long azz name). I picked some up and have fallen in love with it also! If in 2006, someone would have told me that I'd be using Pantene R&N, I would've told them they'd lost their mind. This stuff is amazing.

I'm obviously on a modified CG routine now. I lo-poo with Deva or Giovanni 50/50 Clarifying-Hydrating shampoo every other wash.

I too have been using the a-cone. I just started using L'oreal's Vive Pro Hydra-Gloss Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner yesterday and I really like it. I've also DTed with Ion's Extreme Moisture Nurturing Creme twice and used the Moisturizing Treatment once as a regular conditioner (it smells heavenly) both really makes my hair feel nice. Could it be the a-cone? It could be, but I'm not losing as much hair when I detangle, it seems like it's staying hydrated longer, it's soft, and doesn't seem to be breaking as much. So, hey, if that's bad, I guess I'm just a bad ass momofokuh.

carol's daughter new and improved hair smoothies have amodimethicone in it. it DOES make your hair fall apart easily and gets rid of all of the tanglies, but i heard it can leave a nasty buildup after awhile, which isn't bad if you don't mind shampooing with a sls shampoo (which i used to do before lol)

Lady Hasytal in the Land of Product in the Order of the Curly Crusaders

"Trust is knowing your SO would do the right thing in the face of strange vagina." Nej

"One interesting property of these polymers is that they provide selective conditioning to the areas most in need of it. The mechanism by which they accomplish this is, again, electrostatic attraction. Highly damaged areas of the hair cuticle possess higher negative charge density, which enhances the affinity of the cationic polymer to that specific area. These polymers can provide a targeted beneficial effect.

Once the amine-functional silicone is deposited onto the surface of the hair, it spreads out and forms a cross linked film when it dries. This cross linked film can last through several washings, which is considered to be advantageous in most applications. A unique property of these polymers is that once in place on the surface of the hair, they repel further deposition of amine-functional polymers on top of the existing layer, preventing buildup. This cross-linked film seals moisture inside the hair shaft, holding the cuticle flat and providing excellent wet and dry comb-ability. An additional benefit of these silicones over other cationic polymers (such as polyquats) is their high refractive index, which gives the hair a high degree of gloss and shine.

Silicones, including amodimethicone, also protect from thermal damage resulting from styling tools, such as hot rollers, curling irons, and blow dryers. This phenomenon is due to their very low thermal conductivity — much lower than water, glycerin, or mineral oil. This reduces heat transfer through the hair surface to the cortex of the hair. Very high temperatures found when styling or processing hair (sometimes as high as 100°C to 160°C) are capable of vaporizing water contained within the cortex. It is extremely important to maintain proper hydration of the hair because water has a very high specific heat which helps protect the hair from getting too hot. Hair that reaches too high temperatures can suffer permanent damage to the delicate keratin fibrils in the cortex. A protective layer of amodimethicone on the surface can help prevent or reduce damage done in this manner. One frequent question that arises is whether these amine-functional silicones — amodimethicone in particular — are water soluble. This question is most relevant for those on a no-shampoo routine who wash with conditioners. They fear that the only way to prevent buildup of these silicones is to use a traditional surfactant such as sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, or the ammonium lauryl or laureth sulfates.

The short answer is that these polymers are not water soluble. The silicone is provided to product manufacturers as a mixture of silicone/cationic surfactant/nonionic surfactant, which enables it to be readily dispersed into an aqueous formulation because this mixture is water soluble. However, once the product is used and the amodimethicone is deposited onto the surface of the hair and forms a film, it is not water soluble.
ConclusionsAmodimethicone and other similarly modified silicone polymers are considered to be among the best high-performance conditioning polymers currently available to the hair-care product formulator. They provide many unique benefits, including the following:

Provide deep conditioningProvide targeted conditioning to areas of particularly damaged hairProtect from thermal damageIncrease color retentionResist build upImpart gloss and shineThese modified silicones seem to be of particular benefit for those of us with damaged hair, permanently colored hair or those concerned about the buildup of conditioning agents . It would be necessary to use a shampoo containing one of the lauryl or laureth sulfates or cocamidopropyl betaine to completely remove this silicone from the hair, which may be of concern to those who prefer to use only conditioner-cleansing methods."

You don't have to use SLS, you can use a coco cleanser, which is what is found in Deva lo-poo and the Giovanni condish (I think...). Neither of these strip my hair, and I haven't noticed anything but good things from the a-cone yet!

DISCLAIMER: This thread is about personal experiences with cones...I'm definitely not rec'ing them! Other's experiences may be different.

ETA: Heather, what is in the Ion conditioner...I've seen it at Sally's and it has always interested me.

The nurturing one doesn't have proteins, but the Moisturizing treatment does. I think I'm going to just start balancing my protein and moisture a bit more cause I'm tired of using friggin aphogee, I like it but the ish stinks. Let me go get my bottles and I'll post ingredients for both.

LOL, so I've avoided cones like the plague since about 2006. It wasn't until a couple of months ago, that my hair fell in love with Devacare One C (which contains amodimethicone) that I decided to look into them further. So, like a true PJ and hairaholic, I researched that specific cone and ran across this article:

Then, I ran across a thread where lots of naturals (on another board) were praising another A-cone conditioner- Pantene Relaxed and Natural Breakage Defense Deep Conditioning Mask (that's a long azz name). I picked some up and have fallen in love with it also! If in 2006, someone would have told me that I'd be using Pantene R&N, I would've told them they'd lost their mind. This stuff is amazing.

I'm obviously on a modified CG routine now. I lo-poo with Deva or Giovanni 50/50 Clarifying-Hydrating shampoo every other wash.

So, there you go, I've confessed my CONE sins, now its your turn...

Dish!

Originally Posted by curlynikki

Wow....this is interesting Curlynikki! So I used and loved Pantene Relaxed and Natural Breakage Defense products throughout my 17 month transition. Maybe I need to revisit!

You don't have to use SLS, you can use a coco cleanser, which is what is found in Deva lo-poo and the Giovanni condish (I think...). Neither of these strip my hair, and I haven't noticed anything but good things from the a-cone yet!

DISCLAIMER: This thread is about personal experiences with cones...I'm definitely not rec'ing them! Other's experiences may be different.

ETA: Heather, what is in the Ion conditioner...I've seen it at Sally's and it has always interested me.

Originally Posted by curlynikki

so you don't have to use sls shampoo to wash it out? wowwwww

Lady Hasytal in the Land of Product in the Order of the Curly Crusaders

"Trust is knowing your SO would do the right thing in the face of strange vagina." Nej

Empressri, Deva Lo-poo is a poo (not the lo-poo)...it has the coco cleanser in it that the article mentions. Also, the Giovanni 50/50 Clarifying and Hydrating is a shampoo as well...that has coco in it as well. I use either of these poo's every other wash session.

I used to feel the same way about this cone. It was in Devacurl One-C which I loved, and Wet & Wavy conditioner which I used to use when I ran out of One C. The article says it repels buildup, but I'm not so sure. I did get a certain amount of buildup from using these conditioners. I would feel my hair getting a little choked and then shampoo to get rid of it. Not often, though. More like 1-2x a month.

After several months, they ceased to work on my hair, and started making it dry and sandpaper-y. I think my hair got too used to them, which is usually down to buildup.

ETA: What both these conditioners had in common was being really rich and very smoothing, like it would slip into the cracks of your hair and fill them up. It left a nice "protective" coating on the hair which was nice when not left to build up too long.

okay im going to read this alllllllll over when i go home cause im doing 5 things at once!

Empressri, Deva Lo-poo is a poo (not the lo-poo)...it has the coco cleanser in it that the article mentions. Also, the Giovanni 50/50 Clarifying and Hydrating is a shampoo as well...that has coco in it as well. I use either of these poo's every other wash session.

Originally Posted by curlynikki

Lady Hasytal in the Land of Product in the Order of the Curly Crusaders

"Trust is knowing your SO would do the right thing in the face of strange vagina." Nej

Every product I own sees to have amodimethicone in it, even my skin care products. I had just come to grips with the fact that I was stuck with it because I love some of those products too much to stop using them.

Hey Nikki, two great minds think alike. I was thinking of starting a thread on this topic also. I've been a modified CG for quite some time now. I tried a total CG routine at first, but what threw me back into cone usage was my protein sensitivity. Organic products with "coco" sulfates, pure coconut oil, and tons of extracts are not my friend. Period! It's been my experience that my hair seems to respond better to products with fewer natural ingredients. I've been a long term user of Redken Smooth Down and the regular Pantene Relaxed and Natural conditioner and they work extremely well. However, I do use sulfates. That's one thing that I never changed about my routine since becoming a member of this site. I haven't found a natural cleanser good enough to tear me completely away from my Aveda Brilliant Shampoo. I love that stuff!

What are you using from the Pantene R&N line?? And tell me more about the Redken Smooth Down Co!!!

Hey Nikki, two great minds think alike. I was thinking of starting a thread on this topic also. I've been a modified CG for quite some time now. I tried a total CG routine at first, but what threw me back into cone usage was my protein sensitivity. Organic products with "coco" sulfates, pure coconut oil, and tons of extracts are not my friend. Period! It's been my experience that my hair seems to respond better to products with fewer natural ingredients. I've been a long term user of Redken Smooth Down and the regular Pantene Relaxed and Natural conditioner and they work extremely well. However, I do use sulfates. That's one thing that I never changed about my routine since becoming a member of this site. I haven't found a natural cleanser good enough to tear me completely away from my Aveda Brilliant Shampoo. I love that stuff!

I too have been using the a-cone. I just started using L'oreal's Vive Pro Hydra-Gloss Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner yesterday and I really like it. I've also DTed with Ion's Extreme Moisture Nurturing Creme twice and used the Moisturizing Treatment once as a regular conditioner (it smells heavenly) both really makes my hair feel nice. Could it be the a-cone? It could be, but I'm not losing as much hair when I detangle, it seems like it's staying hydrated longer, it's soft, and doesn't seem to be breaking as much. So, hey, if that's bad, I guess I'm just a bad ass momofokuh.

Originally Posted by HeatherNicole

ITA...btw, you can use it as a DT. it's results are even better. my pump broke though, so i'm a little bothered that i have to squeeze it out the bottle. but it's definitely worth it...do you like it better than the generic biolage hydrating balm?

what's the nourishing creme? i don't think i've see it at my sally's.

natural since 1998. trying to adapt to this midwest weather while still keeping it simple. current length: MBL (stretched) www.fotki.com/curlymami
pw: enter

The moisture nourishing creme is in an 8oz tube with a flip top and is super duper thick (i heart super thick conditioners). Your sally's should have it. I haven't used the moisture treatment but once, so I can't determine if I like it better than the Hydrating Balm. I'll try alternating both weekly and do a moisture dt during the middle of the week with Tigi MM. I can't wait to try both of them out with EVOO and honey.

I too have been using the a-cone. I just started using L'oreal's Vive Pro Hydra-Gloss Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner yesterday and I really like it. I've also DTed with Ion's Extreme Moisture Nurturing Creme twice and used the Moisturizing Treatment once as a regular conditioner (it smells heavenly) both really makes my hair feel nice. Could it be the a-cone? It could be, but I'm not losing as much hair when I detangle, it seems like it's staying hydrated longer, it's soft, and doesn't seem to be breaking as much. So, hey, if that's bad, I guess I'm just a bad ass momofokuh.

Originally Posted by HeatherNicole

omg HN. i just bought some of the condish a little while ago and it was divine!!! i mean it smells great and left my hair soft all day (by itself). i think amodimethicone isn't too bad..its water soluble whenever there's a peg in front of it, and also if tricedeth-12 and cetrimonium chloride are in the ingredient list. its sad that i know that

i also kind of like pantene's relaxed & natural conditioner. ::backs slowly out of thread::